Andrew Feldstein

Family Law Lawyer/Mediator/Arbitrator

Andrew Feldstein is the founder and senior partner of the Feldstein Family Law Group in Markham Ontario. He began practising law in 1992, after graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School. Today, the Feldstein Family Law Group is the largest family law firm in the York Region and has satellite offices through the Greater Toronto Area.

Feldstein has been a determined advocate for alternative dispute resolution in the Ontario family law system. In recognition of his vast experience resolving complex family law issues using alternatives to traditional court methods, Feldstein was honoured in 2010 with an inaugural appointment to the Dispute Resolution Officer Panel of Newmarket. The panel supports the family courts by aiding couples in resolving their disputes at the early stages of litigation.

Feldstein is also an energetic supporter of law students in Ontario, donating his time volunteering as a mentor at Osgoode Hall Law School. Further, through his role as the chair of the articling committee at the Feldstein Family Law Group, he helps educate and guide new lawyers as they begin their careers.

Active in the legal community, Feldstein is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Ontario Bar Association, the Canadian Bar Association, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), York Region Law Association, the Newmarket working committee to improve the court process, and the Markham Board of Trade.

The way the law works needs to change. As a lawyer, I would much rather help a dozen clients for a few hours each, on an unbundled basis, than spend weeks representing one client in a drawn-out trial. I am confident many of my colleagues feel the same.

The PM's behaviour has provoked concern and anger from MPs and Canadians all over the country. What are the potential legal consequences of the PM's shoving and manhandling? Well, threatening, hitting, kicking, punching, harassing and shoving another person are all offences punishable under the Criminal Code of Canada.

With the recent Ashley Madison hack and the release of information for the affair-oriented dating site, it is no surprise that the internet is making wise-cracks about excited divorce lawyers rubbing their hands together in glee. But aside from being the final nail on the coffin, how would finding your spouse on the Ashley Madison list affect your divorce?

What divorcing spouses and partners don't realize is there are very real consequences of dysfunctional divorce that affect mental, emotional, and developmental well-being and behaviour of children. The effects of divorce trauma become more pronounced the longer a divorce drags on. And two or five years in the life of a child is a huge percentage of time.

A CBC investigation yesterday uncovered that 'deadbeat parents' in Canada collectively owe more than $3.7B in support. As a divorce lawyer for 20 years, it struck me that there is a lack of knowledge of how court-ordered support payments work. Here are three things to think about and two actions that you can take which should help Canadians understand spousal and child support a bit better, help you understand why the divorce support payments situation is such a mess, and help explain why it is not even worse.

Of course it's romantic to have sunset ceremony with a senorita on the Costa del Sol. But before you start picking out wedding invitations and planning on bringing your sweetheart back to Canada, there is a lot of wisdom in getting the facts about your legal obligations if you to want to marry someone from a foreign country and sponsor them to come to Canada.

Today, I launched an advocacy initiative called It's Time For Justice. For 20 years now, we have been talking about improving access to justice in Canada and we have made barely any progress. We need to reduce both the time and costs to get divorced.

Senator Brazeau's arrest and jailing dominated the news this week. However, thousands of Canadians who have been through even the most minor domestic violence incident know that criminal law is applied with no mercy and no balance, well before anyone gets their day in court. While Senator Brazeau is the man in the spotlight, thousands of other Canadian men and women accused of a range of domestic violence have suffered the same punishments and the same obstacles to reconciliation while waiting for criminal courts to make decisions.

Rene deBlois agreed that he would just be a sperm donor for his friend and her same-sex partner, and that he would not play any kind of role in the child's life. Now deBlois says he was coerced into the latter part of this arrangement and that he believes he should be recognized as the child's father. On the surface, this may seem logical, but in reality, this is a case about the rights of the child.

While individuals may think their online indiscretions are harmless, it's clear that they have very real consequences. No doubt this will become an increasingly important issue in many divorces in the future.

Modern telecommunication and telepresence devices could remove the need for the parties to be physically present during family law disputes. This would have a large number of benefits, without any real disadvantage.

As the baby-boomer generation ages, their children face the prospect of having to support them. In Ontario this has been legislated in the Family Law Act. Despite seeming innocuous at first, this is an unfair law.

Parents want their children to have the best experiences possible, but these occasions sometimes require altering an existing child custody arrangement. Still, if people can stay reasonable and focus on what is best for their children, it is possible that they can minimize stress.